Saturday, 16 March 2013

5 Distractions for Anytime

I have previously posted about dinnertime distractions but these distraction activities can be done at anytime and this past week and a half since my back injections I have had to employ a few to keep Little Boy Blue busy. I've not had much time or ability to set things up as I normally try to do so finding quick distractions and activities that don't take much setting up or clearing away have been called for.

Water Play

Water play doesn't have to be as complicated or as intricate as some may try to make it look, don't get me wrong I love the look of some blog ideas for water play and would love to have some if not all of the equipment. However truth be told I don't think Little Boy Blue would have had any more fun than he had just with a basin, a jug, a container, a ladle, 2 silicone cake cases and a medicine scoop!

iPad Time

Under normal circumstances my boys don't get what I feel is too much 'screen' time but these weren't normal circumstances so Little Boy Blue got to play some iPad apps and more TV time.

Indoor Play Areas

It shames me to admit it but I sometimes wonder how my mother and her generation managed without indoor play area. To a home educating mummy in a wet, cold and windy climate for 80% of the year a good indoor play area can be a life line! When the children have cabin fever and they start running riot all around the house it's nice to take them to a local indoor play area where they can blow off steam, mummy gets a coffee and the house doesn't get any further recked than it already was! When its dry and I'm more physically able, hubby is off or my mother is visiting we do head to the play park, woods or beach but when I'm not so physically able the indoor play area is a welcome activity for all.

Sensory Play

Just a couple of weeks ago as part of World Book Day where Little Boy Blue was introduced to the Rainbow Fish books I did our first real attempt at a sensory play well a mini sensory tub with some home dyed colourful rice. (Check out the post for details at http://littleboybluetoddleschool.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/world-book-day-week-month-year-lifetime.html) To this mix of rainbow rice I added some lentils (red, yellow & brown), some popping corn kernels and some white beans, mixed it altogether and put into a larger tray with some tweezers and tubs for Little Boy Blue to use the tweezers to pick out the larger white bean and put them into the little tubs. This activity extended by the addition of most of his construction vehicles!